It’s taken a while, but at race start number 32 What Odds Billy finally broke through for his first win last Sunday at Tara Raceway in the Metal Worx Maiden Stake over 305 metres.

A give away greyhound, picked up by Terang owner-trainer Paul Herry prior to breaking-in, the son of Good Odds Harada and Shim’s Heart recently switched trainers and is now with Princetown-based April Janssen – Herry’s daughter.

Lining up from box one, What Odds Billy was the outsider of the four-dog field. But the brindle dog defied the odds when quickly finding the front and hanging on for a one length win over Costly Habits in a time of 18.02 seconds.

This was a win that had been 11 months in the making for Herry. And after the race it had been a toss-up who he had made him the prouder – his daughter or What Odds Billy!

Janssen is somewhat of a regular at Tara Raceway and has done well locally with Princetown Flyer and also Swift Gift who reached the final of this month’s Group 3 Mount Gambier Cup final.

Meanwhile, Poke Salad Annie strung together three consecutive wins at Tara Raceway after leading all the way from box two in the Federal Hotel Stake (400 m) and having three lengths to spare over Major Queen in a quick 22.65 seconds.

Raced by Peter Carter of Horsham, Poke Salad Annie is trained at Penola by Stuart Sharam who took her over in late January. And by necessity, she’s yet to race at any track except Tara Raceway.

“The problem Peter found when training her in Victoria was that she wasn’t running into the catching pen at the end of her races,” Sharam said.

“I’d been racing over at Horsham a bit and got to know Peter. He asked me if I would be interested in giving her a go at the Mount Gambier track which these days doesn’t have a catching pen but operates with a finish-on-lure system.

“And she hasn’t done too much wrong since relocating, winning four of her five races at Mount Gambier. Last Sunday’s effort over 400 metres was a really strong effort in good time and signalled a step-up to 512 metres.”

By Bernardo, Poke Salad Annie is out of Reinforcements who won 13 races and more than $50,000 in prize money when trained by Carter.

This is a litter that also includes Lightning Quick, a recent winner over 730 metres at The Meadows, Lightning Speed, a 515 metre Sandown Park, Needs Space an Angle Park 530 metre winner and Air Speed who has won his past two at Horsham and Warrnambool.

There’s not too much wrong with Reinforcements’ breeding either. She’s by Barcia Bale out of Bobby Soxer, a daughter of Fernando Bale and Rhonda Rocks – a terrific litter that also includes Sennachie, a winner of more than $700,000 in prize money.

Fast approaching at Tara Raceway is the second running of the Autumn Classic, a $10,000 age-restricted series over 512 metres for greyhounds whelped on or after January 1, 2024. Heats will be run on Sunday, May 3 with the final on May 10.

Last year’s inaugural event was won by Galactic Nemesis, a daughter of Blue Moon Rising and Galactic Athena. She is owned locally by Robert Chuck and trained at Finniss by Lauren Harris.

Filling the minor placings were Peter Crawley’s Vixen Force and High Cube, trained by Robert Halliday.

Last Sunday’s Ontrack Insider Mixed Stake (512 m) certainly looked to come up with a classic contender in the form of the Tracie Price trained Compton Lizzie, a daughter of Bernardo and Rhonda Lily.

A May 2024 whelping, the black bitch quickly opened up a big break before running out a 7¼ length winner over Magic Tom in a quick 29.59 seconds.

But Magic Tom’s trainer, Dean Fennell, took out the training honours for the day after earlier winning with Saint Ella and Compton Bowie.

Saint Ella, a daughter of My Redeemer and Mepunga Stellar, led all the way from box two in the Williams Crane Hire Stake (305 m) and held out Bert Deeds for a half-length win in 17.68 seconds.

And Compton Bowie quickly found the front from box four in the Greg Martlew Autos Stake before holding out Tested for a half-head win in 23.31 seconds. This was the first win over the 400 metre journey for the son of Feral Franky and Perseverance.